After the End
by Hidingtobeseen
Summary: The whole world didn't end, but theirs did. After Endgame, Artemis and Dick have to pick up the pieces. - "You have to get up." Artemis knew Grayson was trying to help her, but the cold and lights had taken everything from her and now she wanted to curl up and fade away. But Grayson wouldn't let her, so she did the only thing that was left. "Fucking make me."


p class="MsoNormal"emThis story was written as I recovered from the end of Season 2; I decided to upload it now as a celebration of Season 3! I really wanted to go through Artemis and Dick processing Wally's death, so that's what this is./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSet after the events of Endgame:/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"-/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Artemis..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Artemis had fallen face-first into a fitful sleep, eyes puffy and throat raw, when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. Before she had even truly woken up, reflexes took over and she flipped over onto her back and braced her hands over her head, ready to do a back hand spring into the intruder's chest./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Artemis…" The voice was soft and baritone, definitely male, but high enough to be a young man, and familiar enough that Artemis recognized it even in her current state. Breathing heavily, she glared through the hair across her face. "Artemis, I'm so sorry." The words echoed in the room and she felt bile rise in her throat. She closed her eyes, trying to find escape in the darkness. There was a pause and the only sound was her rough breathing. Then the bed creaked as Dick sat down. He put his arms under her torso and hauled her into a sitting position. Part of her, the part that was raised by her father, wanted to protest that she was fine. Another part of her wanted to pull him to her and cry. But she had spent her tears days ago and all the rest of her only wanted to be left alone./p  
p class="MsoNormal"In the end Artemis stayed limp; she didn't have the energy to fight the arms that pulled her into a hug./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry." Dick whispered into her hair, brushing the strands away from his face. Her normally well-kept hair was in a blond mess, knotted and dirty. His hand smoothed it down her back, pressing gently between her shoulder blades. "I'm sorry." He said again. To Artemis's surprise, a faint spark of anger blazed up in her chest. Richard needed to stop repeating himself. His hands went to her arms and he pulled her away from him enough to look her in the eye./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Artemis." He repeated and the spark burned a little brighter. "Artemis, when was the last time you ate?" Narrowing her eyes, she tried to say 'It's not your fucking business' but all that came out was a croak. Clearing her throat, she tried something easier./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Leave me alone."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Artemis's voice was rough and cracked from being unused, but he didn't look away from her and she noticed with almost indifferent detachment the dark circles under his red-rimmed eyes. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"From crying,/em said a little voice in her head./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh no." Dick said almost to himself. "You don't get to give up." Artemis' answer turned into a hiss as he started to get up, gently but firmly, pulling her with him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""No." She spat. He continued to tug on her arms, sliding his feet towards the floor. "No!" This time she tore one arm from his grip and brought her hand swinging down towards his face. It was a childish attempt at a slap and he blocked it easily./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Artemis, you have to get up."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"She felt her lip curl and jerked her other arm from him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Go away!" Bringing both hands solidly into his chest, she shoved him off the bed. He landed in a crouch and stood up quickly, looming over her./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You have to get up." His voice was still quiet, but hard. The spark in Artemis burst into fire and she got up on her knees to look him dead in the eye./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Make me."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"-/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ten minutes later and the two of them were on the floor. Artemis on her stomach, one hand twisted behind her back, the other pinned to the floor next to her head with Dick kneeling over her, one leg holding hers to the ground, the other resting on the floor, holding most of his weight. A large bruise was darkening on his right cheekbone, the sleeve of his shirt was ripped on the same side, and nail marks shone red on his exposed arm./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Fuck you, Grayson!" Artemis screamed. Gritting his teeth, Dick tried to turn her over without losing his grip on still struggling limbs. "Fuck you!" He managed to flip her over, straddling her hips and holding both wrists in his hands. "Why?" Her screams were quickly turning into sobs. "Why are you doing this?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Because." Dick's chest was heaving from exertion but his voice was surprisingly steady. "Because this might feel like the end. But we have to keep living." Tears dripped down the side of Artemis's face and onto the floor. She shut her eyes to the sight of the boy trying desperately to help her./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Fuck you..." She choked out./p 


End file.
